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10 Blown Saves, 10 Wins!

So the Brewers have collectively blown 26 saves this season, but they’ve won 10 of those. You’re probably wondering how that happened. Well, I’m here to tell you.

1. July 20, 2012, Brewers defeat Astros 8-7

Blown Save – Livan Hernandez.

Winning Pitcher – Livan Hernandez

Save – John Axford

How did he blow it?

Livan entered the game in the 8th with a 4-3 lead. Jose Altuve led off with a single and was driven in 2 batters later on a double by Steve Pearce which tied it at 4-4. Livan escaped without further damage.

How did they win it?

In the bottom of the 8th Izturis hit an RBI single followed by a Cody Ransom 3-run bomb. Livan would get into trouble in the 9th and allow a run. Then Kam Loe would get into more trouble and allow another run. Then Axford, after giving up another run and drilling Brett Wallace would finally escape with the “save”.

2. May 11th, 2012, Brewers defeat Cubs 8-7

Blown Save – Kam Loe

Winning Pitcher – Vinnie Chulk!

Save – None.

How did he blow it?

Funny story. He entered the game in the 7th with a 1-0 lead. Before he entered in the 7th, Jose Veras came into the game. After he retired Wellington Castillo Darwin Barney hit a triple. Veras then drilled Ian Stewart, and walked Reed Johnson. Our completely idiotic manager then summoned Kam Loe, who should never face a left-handed batter with runners on base, to face David DeJesus (a left-handed batter) with the bases loaded. I would, at this point, like to point out that DeJesus was NOT a pinch hitter, he was already in the game, and that his career OPS against righties is .819 while his career OPS against lefties is .672. God I hate Ron Roenicke. DeJesus his a grand slam as I angrily yelled “Don’t Mess with DeJesus!” at my TV.

Loe then escaped without any further damage, except for my shattered remote control.

How did they win it?

In the 7th Aramis hit an RBI double, and Lucroy would later hit a bases-clearing double with the bases loaded to put the Brewers back on top 5-4. That’s how they regained the lead, but we’re going to come back to this game in the John Axford section a little later on.

3. June 18th, 2012, Brewers defeat Blue Jays 7-6

Blown Save – Kam Loe

Winning Pitcher – Kam Loe

Save – John Axford.

How did he blow it?

Randy Wolf started the 7th with a 6-3 lead. He gave up a single to Omar Vizquel and then struck out Yan Gomes. He was then lifted for Loe.

Loe induced a fielder’s choice from Lawrie, but walked Colby Rasmus in from of Jose Bautista, who promptly hit a 3-run bomb which tied it at 6.

How did they win it?

Aramis Ramirez led off the bottom of the 7th with a solo shot, and that’s all she wrote.

4. April 21st, 2012, Brewers defeat Rockies 9-4

Blown Save – Manny Parra

Winning Pitcher – Jose Veras

Save – None

How did he blow it?

Manny entered in the top of the 6th with a 2-1 lead. He walked Eric Young who then stole second. Marco Scutaro then had a bunt single moving Young to third. Young scored on a groundout by Dexter Fowler. Manny then got another groundout and left the game. Manny then came out with a tie game and watched McClendon put them behind by one.

How did they win it?

Ryan Braun led off the next inning with a HR to re-tie things. In the 7th the Brewers put up a 5 spot highlighted by triples by Weeks and Braun, and a 3-run bomb by Alex Gonzalez.

5. September 1, 2012, Brewers defeat Pirates 3-2.

Blown Save – Jim Henderson

Winning Pitcher – John Axford

Save – None

How did he blow it?

Henderson entered in the 8th with a 2-1 lead. He walked the lead-off man and Presley sacrificed him to 2nd. He struck out Snider, but Andrew McCutchen came through with an RBI single to tie it up.

After the Kam Loe debacle earlier in this game John Axford entered with a 5-4 lead in the top of the 9th inning. Ian Stewart reached on an error by Ramirez. Reed Johnson struck out, but David DeJesus, who was really a pain in the ass this game, hit a triple to score Stewart. Starlin Castro would then strike out, but a wild pitch allowed DeJesus to score and Castro to reach 1st. LaHair struck out but Castro stole 2nd during the AB and scored on a single by Soriano.

How did they win it?

Aramis Ramirez walked with one out in the bottom of the 9th and Corey Hart tied the game with a two-run blast. In the bottom of the 13th Lendy Castillo hit Weeks and Braun to start the inning. Ramirez hit a single to load the bases and Hart hit a walk-off single to win an absolutely insane game. Vinnie Chulk!

7. April 17th, 2012, Brewers defeat Dodgers 5-4

Blown Save – K-Rod

Winning Pitcher – Jose Veras

Save – None

How did he blow it?

K-Rod entered the game in the top of the 9th with a 3-2 lead. Mark Ellis hit a one-out single and Matt Kemp struck out, and K-Rod was oh so close to escaping. Andre Ethier then hit a 2-run homer which reduced the Brewers win probability from 81% to 29%.

How did they win it?

George! You probably all forgot about George Kottaras’s clutchy early-season antics. Hart led off the bottom of the 9th with a single. Gogo pinch-ran and stole 2nd. With a base open, Guerra walked Mat Gamel for some reason. Lucroy struck out, but George hit a walk-off 2-run double to win it.

8. June 7th, 2012, Brewers defeat Cubs 4-3

Blown Save – K-Rod

Winning Pitcher – John Axford

Save – None

How did he blow it?

In typically frustrating K-Rod fashion, that’s how. With 2 outs in the 8th, protecting a narrow 2-1 lead Alfonso Soriano hit a single which brought up the left-handed Bryan LaHair. He hit a bomb to put the Cubs in front. Of course he did.

How did they win it?

Thankfully, this is the Cubs we’re talking about.

In the bottom of the 8th Nori led off with a single and Gogo sacrificed him to 2nd. Ryan Braun flied out, but Corey bailed everyone out with a run-scoring ground-rule double to tie it.

In the bottom of the 10th Nori led off with a walk-off HR because he is awesome.

9. July 1st, 2012, Brewers defeat Diamondbacks 2-1

Blown Save – K-Rod

Winning Pitcher – John Axford

Save – None

How did he blow it?

K-Rod entered the game in the top of the 8th leading 1-0. Instead of slowly ripping off the band-aid in the usual way he was quick this time, allowing a lead-off HR to Jason Kubel.

How did they win it?

You probably remember this game. Aramis walked and Gogo pinch ran. And boy, did he pinch run. After Hart flied out, with Weeks batting Gomez stole 2nd and after the Diamondbacks were finished throwing the ball around he managed to make it all the way home for a walkoff stolen base + 2 base error.

10. July 3rd, 2012 Brewers defeat Marlins 13-12

Blown Save – K-Rod

Winning Pitcher – Livan Hernandez

Save – None

How did he blow it?

Why don’t we end with this ridiculous game against the Marlins? Kam Loe started the top of the 8th with an 11-5 lead and couldn’t get anyone out. Logan Morrison doubled, Ruggiano doubled, Omar Infante singled, Gabby Sanchez grounded out because he sucks, and then John Buck hit a HR.

Enter K-rod, now with an 11-9 lead, one out, and the bases clear.

Cousins immediately homered to make it 11-10 and Jose Reyes followed with a double. They actually had Reyes picked off, but the Brewers threw the ball away and Reyes reached 3rd. Solano walked to put runners at the corners and Greg Dobbs then hit a sac fly to tie the game.

How did they win it?

Jose Reyes hit a solo shot off Livan in the top of the 10th and the Brewers were in real danger of losing this game. Fortunately, Heath Bell was still around. He walked Gogo to lead off the inning which is rarely a good sign. He retired Aoki on a flyball and struck out Braun, but good old Aramis Ramirez hit a walkoff HR, a play that increased the Brewers’ win probability from 14% to 100%.